Dennis Herrera
Guitar and Vocals
Born and raised in San Jose, California, just a heartbeat away from the vibrant music scene of San Francisco, Dennis Herrera's journey into the world of music began early. As a kid in the 1960s, he was first introduced to rock and roll by his mom via a pop AM radio station, KLIV. Tuning into The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Sam and Dave, and Wilson Pickett quickly became his favorite pastime.
By age 15, Herrera was already a seasoned concert-goer, having attended countless rock and roll, R&B, blues, and soul shows across the Bay Area. He frequented legendary venues like the Fillmore, Winterland, and the Avalon Ballroom, as well as numerous juke-joint blues clubs. He fondly remembers his first guitar, a gift from his grandfather, which led to a handful of lessons and a stint in garage bands.
Early on, Herrera favorite rock groups were covering songs written by blues greats like Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Reed, All the “Kings”, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker etc. etc. Since then, the blues have been his constant companion.
With over 35 years of performing under his belt, Dennis Herrera continues to write and perform his original blues music, along with his favorites, throughout California, Arizona and Florida. He has recorded four CDs to date and there are more to come. He was awarded in 2019 two Master Blues Artist. - Blues Hall of Fame from San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Alex Holland
Saxophonist
A D.C. area native, brings a style that can only come from a seasoned veteran of numerous studio sessions and tours with artist on a local, national, and international level. A graduate of Morehead State University (BME 77); highlighted session work and tours include Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Rufus Thomas, Djimo Kouyate (Kora master from Senegal and Director of Mamaya African Jazz), Pat Thomas (Ghana), Culture Shock (Ghana), The Assassins (D.C.), The Phoenix Coyotes Band, The Chez Nous Band, Knee Deep Experience, Quantum, Simon Crown Revue, Chele' and In The Mix, and Silhouette of Barcelona to name a few.
This broad spectrum of musical experiences has propelled him to the level of - saxophonist that you hear.
Rich Wenzel
The founder and owner of Ardent Audio Productions, Rich Wenzel is an accomplished musician, producer, and engineer with over 40 years of experience in the music industry.
Rich studied music at the University of California Long Beach. He began his career in the late 60’s touring LA venues with his first band opening for acts like The Doors, Van Morrison, and Frank Zappa. After several years as a music instructor at the Peninsula Academy of Music as well as Lamarca Music in Torrance, Rich returned to touring.
For the next decade, he played with various LA and Las Vegas show bands, toured the United States, and recorded several albums. Then it was off to sea on the Love Boat and several other cruise ships where he was an onboard band-leader. Later Rich continued to play around the world for international Stars Viki Carr vikkicarr.com/, Friends of Distinction, and Cecilio & Kapono www.ceciliokapono.com/.
After completing his touring career in major stadiums across the country for acts like The Beach Boys www.thebeachboys.com/, Dave Mason www.davemasonmusic.com/ and Jazz/Rock Flutist Tim Weisberg timweisberg.com/, Rich took a consulting position for another decade at Yamaha Music corporation and Kawaii USA where he honed his skills as an audio engineer.
Since opening Ardent Audio Productions in 1989, Rich has continued to tour and record as a top studio musician and has always kept up-to-date with the latest trends in musical styles, instruments, recording techniques, and computer sequencing.
At Ardent, Rich has worked as producer, arranger, and engineer for literally hundreds of clients whose CDs have been distributed around the globe.